Hartman Earns 500th Win -- Racers Survive in Extra Innings

LIMA, OH - The UNOH baseball program and head coach Kory Hartman earned win No. 500 in the program's 15 seasons with a dramatic doubleheader sweep of Cleary Saturday afternoon. The Racers had to come from behind in both games to stay on top of the of the WHAC standings slugging out an 8-5 win in the opener before finishing off the day with a thrilling 7-6 walk off victory in eleven innings.

It was a rough start for the league's reigning Pitcher of the Year, Daniel Healy, who got himself into trouble early with a hit batter and two walks that cost a run in his first inning of the game. He managed to work out of the situation without any more damage but allowed another score the second time around putting his team down 2-0 to start the game. Jake Watson got one back with a RBI single in the home second but UNOH did most of their damage and turned the game around in the bottom of the fifth.

Cesar Grau tied the game with a double to left followed by Fabian Romero who drove in two more with a well hit single that also beat the left fielder. A passed ball added another before Eliomar Otero made it a five-run frame with a RBI ground out. Cleary got two back in the top of the fifth but the Otero came through again with a two-out RBI single to keep the Racers in control, 7-4. The teams traded runs in the sixth and seventh innings but the Cougars got shut down by UNOH closer, Jordan Davis, to finish off the program's 500th win.

Otero, Grau and Jake Watson each recorded two hits in the game with four total RBI between them. Tyler Huff finished just 1-3 in the opener but his single hit came in the form of his first career triple before eventually scoring in the sixth inning.

Healy (7-1) earned his WHAC leading seventh win of the season after four and two-thirds innings of work on the mound. He allowed four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and five walks. Davis earned his fourth save of the year tossing the final two innings with one run on three hits while striking out two and walking two.

UNOH had a hard time keeping the pesky Cougars off the board again in game two needing to come from behind three different times over the first nine innings. A lead off homer for Cleary opened the scoring in the second with a couple walks, a single and a Nolan Hull sacrifice fly tying the game in the home half of the inning. Three straight hits led off the third and resulted in the Racers going behind a second time, but this time a two-run bomb off the bat of Cesar Grau put his team on top 3-2 after three. 

Another pair of Cougar hits in the fourth locked the teams again but some defensive struggles in the bottom put UNOH back on top again. A lead off walk for Fabian Romero, a throwing error on a steal attempt and another walk put runners on the corners for the Racers before going hot on a double steal that brought Romero home. After the early excitement, the scoring dried up but not of the lack of trying as the two teams combined to leave nine runners stranded over the next four innings sending the game into the final inning of regulation with UNOH still up 4-3. 

The inning started badly and ended worse for the Racers giving up two walks and a hit batter that loaded the bases and set up a big three-run frame for Cleary, their biggest of the day. After a fly out and a fielder's choice, UNOH was down to their final out of the game still trailing 6-4. Zach Grigalis was hit by a pitch to keep their hopes alive and a wild pitch aided the efforts moving the runners to second and third with one of the hottest bats in the conference next up for the Racers. That bat delivered in the clutch as Cesar Grau split the middle of the infield and scored both runners to tie the score and send the game extra innings.

An uneventful tenth saw six straight batters get retired in order forcing what would become the decisive eleventh inning. Cleary managed to get one runner on board with a hard hit single to left, but it was their last dribble of offense on the day as the next two batters were sent away without trouble. In the UNOH half, the Cougars again helped get things started hitting two batters and walking another to load up the bags with just one out in the frame. One more time it was Cesar Grau delivering when his team needed it the most gapping a shot to right center field allowing Jake Watson to trot home from third for a walk off, 7-6 win.

It wasn't the smoothest of outings on the bump for senior Zach Cabell, but he did enough to keep his team in the game over six and a third innings giving up three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Josh Mauney and Jordan Davis combined for four innings of middle relief with three runs on three total hits while striking out five between them. Freshman Carter Hicks (1-0) earned the first decision of his career after forcing fly outs on the final two Cougar batters in the eleventh inning.

Grau concluded an incredible day with his eleventh multi-hit performance in his last 16 outings finishing 3-6 with five RBI in game two. Combined with his game one, Grau ended the day 5-10 at the dish with six total RBI that included a double and a home run.

UNOH will hit the road again on Sunday, April 12, for a pair of games against Rochester Christian that will be played at UWM Field in Utica, Michigan.